On Friday, December 31st, lawyers in different areas of Tunisia decided to gather again, wearing red badges, to express their support to Sidi Bouzid inhabitants and to denounce the arrests and the use of live ammunition in several regions of the country. But as usual the government decided to prevent these gatherings through the use of violence as well as the arrest of several lawyers throughout the Sidi Bouzid's events. In Tunis, for example police officers in plainclothes and security forces besieged the area of the courthouse. They prevented some lawyers from entering the area and let some others access it. When the layers tried to leave the Bar House where they were gathering, the security forces intervened and used violence. Some lawyers such as : Leila Ben Debba and Samia Abbou where badly beaten with truncheons. They are seriously injured. Such incidents happened in different Governorates and cities of Tunisia. We heard about assaults against lawyers in Grombalia , Gafsa, Monastir, Mahdia , Sfax , Kasserine... etc

Moreover, the police officers seized the lawyers' mobile phones and cameras to delete any record of the incidents.

On Tuesday 28th, Tunisian lawyers organized a demonstration in support to the inhabitants of Sidi Bouzid. The demonstration took place in front of the First Instance Court of Tunis. As usual, Police officers were present in great numbers . The lawyers sang the national anthem many times. They shouted slogans expressing their support to Sidi Bouzid inhabitants. But they also shouted slogans against the ruling party, the ruling family , and the ministry of interior.

After that, several lawyers gave speeches about the situation in Sidi Bouzid and the general situation in Tunisian. Some people, especially women, who witnessed the demonstration joined it and talked about their own problems spontaneously as was the case for the woman in the following video :

After that , the lawyers went into the first instance court and shouted the slogans again . They addressed some of them to the judges asking them to be independent .

Later in the afternoon, two lawyers who took part in the demonstration were arrested they are : Chokri Belaid and Abderrahmen Ayadi.

The second demonstration to support Sidi Bouzid in Tunis took place today Monday, december 27th, 2010. It started at 1pm in Med Ali Place. Arrived there, again, I was not surprised to see that police officers outnumbered the demonstrators. Nevertheless, the number of demonstrators was bigger than that of the first demonstration. People were singing the Tunisian National Anthem in harmony. Then they started shouting some slogans claiming the right of people to work , ti dignity, to freedom. They evoked freedom of press, freedom of demonstrating.

When they tried to move and to go through streets, demonstrators were prevented from doing so. Policemen started pushing them violently and clubbing them with their truncheons. They even threw stones at demonstrators. Four persons were severely injured. Some demonstrators tried to rush them to the hospital but policemen prevented them from leaving Mohamed Ali Place. Clashes between policemen and demonstrators lasted for a couple of hours. The Minister of Interior was present during the demonstration.

Journalists were prevented from doing their job . They have been continuously harassed.

samedi 25 décembre 2010

After what happened in Sidi Bouzid, calls were launched to organize demonstrations and protests in different regions in Tunisia. In Tunis people were called to gather in Mohamed Ali’s Place in front of the Tunisian General Work Union to express their support to Sidi Bouzid inhabitants. I decidedtosharethegriefof theinhabitantsofSidiBouzid.Arrived at theplace specifiedfor theevent,Iwas not surprisedto seethatpolice officersoutnumber demonstrators.At 11am theprotestersraisedslogansdenouncingwhat ishappeninginSidiBouzid, andsometrade unionistsincludingone from SidiBouzidgavespeecheson thesituationin the region.After that, theprotesterswanted towalkin Tunis streets.Thepoliceblocked theirpathand this is ledtoviolent confrontationsandscuffles. Nevertheless protestersmanaged to get to MongiSlim Street while continuingto shoutslogansandsingthenational anthem.Thepolicecontinuedtopusheveryoneand toinsultpeoplevulgarlyandthey evenbeatsome people.From thestreetMongiSlim,protestersmanaged tomove to the streetparalleltothatof Mohamed Ali. There, violentclashesbegan.Peoplewerecrushedand ayoungmanwas brutallybeatenby the police.Thepoliceforcedthe demonstratorsto turn back.Once in MongiSlim again,protestersraisedslogansforfreedomofexpression, freedom to manifest, as well as forthe righttoworkandforyoung people killedduring the eventsofSidiBouzidwhich are continuing andspreading to otherregions.Thendemonstrators returned to Mohamed Ali’s Place and a group a students sang the UGET anthem as well as some of the songs of Marcel Khalifa.